Utilisation and Reliability of High Power Proton Accelerators
Workshop Proceedings, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, 16-19 May 2004
Accelerator-driven systems (ADS) are being considered for their potential use in the transmutation of radioactive waste. The performance of such hybrid nuclear systems depends to a large extent on the specification and reliability of high power accelerators, as well as the integration of the accelerator with spallation targets and sub-critical systems. At present, much R&D work is still required in order to demonstrate the desired capability of the system as a whole.
Accelerator scientists and reactor physicists from around the world gathered at an NEA workshop to discuss issues of common interest and to present the most recent achievements in their research. Discussions focused on accelerator reliability; target, window and coolant technology; sub-critical system design and ADS simulations; safety and control of ADS; and ADS experiments and test facilities. These proceedings contain the technical papers presented at the workshop as well as summaries of the working group discussions held. They will be of particular interest to scientists working on ADS development as well as on radioactive waste management issues in general.
Safety Analysis of the EU PDS-XADS Designs
Agence pour l'Energie Nucléaire
Within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Union (EU), the PDS-XADS project is focused on Preliminary Design Studies of an Experimental Accelerator-driven Reactor System (ADS). Three basic designs are being studied in detail – two ADS design options, one with a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled core (an 80 MWth unit and a smaller unit) and another (80 MWth) with a gas (helium) cooled core. One part of the PDS-XADS project involves the assessment of the safety of the two 80 MWth designs. The main objectives are as follows: develop an integrated safety approach common to both the LBE and the gas-cooled concepts; identify the main safety issues in an XADS with their phenomenology and develop an evaluation methodology for both alternatives; and perform transient analyses with the aim of producing safety analysis reports on the design features required to meet XADS safety objectives.